Sony RX10 III versus Sony RX10 IV

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in March 2016 and September 2017. Both the RX10 III and the RX10 IV are fixed lens compact cameras that are equipped with an one-inch sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 20 megapixel. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Sony RX10 III and the Sony RX10 IV is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. If you prefer, you can also use the toggle button to switch to a comparison in percentage terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the RX10 III – represents 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

In this particular case, the Sony RX10 III and the Sony RX10 IV have exactly the same width and height,
and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the RX10 IV is slightly heavier (4 percent) than the RX10 III. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera purchase will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The RX10 III was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 12 percent) than the RX10 IV, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an one-inch sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of underlying technology, both cameras are build around BSI-CMOS sensors.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 20 megapixel.
This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the RX10 III and the RX10 IV have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the RX10 IV is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 5 months) than the RX10 III, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (4K/30p).

Feature comparison: Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The RX10 III and the RX10 IV are similar in the sense that both feature an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when framing images in bright sunlight.
Moreover, their viewfinders offer an identical resolution of 2359k dots. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Sony RX10 III and Sony RX10 IV in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras. If you need more detail on the specs, you can find comprehensive listings, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the RX10 III and the RX10 IV have zoom lenses build in. Both optics have identical focal length range and aperture specifications (8.8-220mm f/2.4-4.0). Both cameras offer the same maximum aperture.

The RX10 IV is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock.
In contrast, the RX10 III has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the RX10 III was succeeded by the Sony RX10 IV.

Review summary: Sony RX10 III vs Sony RX10 IV

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Sony RX10 III or the Sony RX10 IV – has the upper hand? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III:

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (12 percent cheaper at launch).

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2016).

More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 5 months) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the RX10 IV emerges as the winner of the match-up (4 : 2 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera.

RX10 III 02:04 RX10 IV

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the RX10 III and the RX10 IV in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool. If you cannot find the camera you are interested in, please contact me, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.